Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-10-18
STUDYING a EASY.
Interesting Experiments Made by Noted
European Scientist.

Interesting Experiments Made by Noted
European scientlst.
A European man Of science. Prof.
Prey er, has published a work in which
he has recorded the results OF his work
in u new branch Of research. He has
devoted himself to studying the growth
of intelligence and observation in his
own child. beginning with the day of
its birth, and observing its develop
ment rather with the eyes of n scientis
than with those Of a parent He has
noted the precise moment in which 1t
first seemed to see things, and the cir
cumstances under which 1t appeared
TO begin its thinking-the intelligent
putting of one thing with another.
II took my baby" said the profess
sor in his book, ITO the window, five
minutes after he was born, and just as
the sun was rising. His perception of
the light did not seem at all keen. He
opened and closed his eyes alternately,
the lids parting about an eighth OF an
inch Somewhat later. the light hav-
ing become much brighter. the baby
opened his eyes quite wide, and n
opening them wrinkeled his forehead. "
d ,ring the earliest days Of its life
an infant. Prof Pfeyer ascertained.
rarely keeps its eyes open. Even when
awake, it is quite as likely to keep its
eyes closed as open; and when it opens
them. it is never by one and the same
81 E,.,t nnn lila lifts nd
then the other, and sometimes the two
are held open at an unequal width.
This state of things usually lasts until
the eleventh day. Prof Preyer OBJ
served his baby's first wink. For fif-
teen days he shook his hand each day
before the child's open eyes, as he l..y
on his pillow, without causing him,
seemingly. any fear or establishment
On tho sixteenth day after his birth.
however, the baby winked quickly
when the same movement was made
opening the eyes again together. and
quickly.
AT the end of the seventh month.
the professor found the boy quite
capable of feeling and expressing as
constituent ut an act which he did not
understand. Bat as early as the
twenty-third day of his life the baby
"noticed." rs the nurses put it; that is
to say. discovered that there was such
a thing as movement In the world
about him. This discovery Prof.
Preyer reached by experimenting with
him from day to day with moving can
dies. The child. at last on the day
men Toned, followed the movement
of tho candles. up or down
or right or left by moving
his head. The child wore. at
the same time, an expression of intel
ligence as if he had made discovery.
1t was only on the hundredth day thai
the baby followed exactly. and with an
Instant movement as precise as ma
chimes, the swinging Of large pen
dulum. and only in the twenty-nintl
month Of his life that he followed
with quickness and certainty. the fligh
of a swallow.
PAf Preyer's experiments with the
child's perception of color were ex
tremely interesting, but too long 10 be
repeated here; but we may say tina
the result of them was to convince hin
that the eye is especially affected b,
the color red, and that at first we hav,
but two color imprsssions-tirst O
that which is red, and second. of thai
which is not red.
Mr.. Preyer declares that it is grea
mistake to suppose that a baby is abl'
to smile soon after lis birth. 1t wa
his twenty-sixth day that h own bah,
first smiled; and the double joy of TIN
, father, which was both parental an,
scientific. was unquestonably yer,
great, 1t is easy to believe that TO
, the moment the man of science wa
lost in the father. These experiment
! may seem trifling, but they are not s
to those who seek accurate knowledge
, and Mr. Preyer certainly could no
have chosen a more delightful subjcc
, for scientific research. - Youths Com
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